Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes meet in Major League Soccer on Wednesday evening, looking to improve their respective Western Conference standings.
At a time when the hosts are top of the table, the visitors are fifth, seven points behind the leaders.
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After winning six of their first nine league games, Seattle Sounders were anticipated to surge away from the chasing pack at the midway point of the season and secure first place.
Instead, three defeats in five games have resulted in the rest of the field closing the gap, with the Sounders now only three points ahead of fourth place.
To their credit, Brian Schmetzer's team responded with a 1-0 win over New York Red Bulls last time out, with Jordan Morris' ninth goal of the season making the difference.
However, at a time when their last three victories have all been by a single goal, Sounders will be without Morris for the foreseeable future due to injury.
San Jose Earthquakes have only collected two points from seven away games this season, losing their last two.
Following 2-1 defeats at Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, they rebounded with a credible 1-1 draw at home to fourth-placed Dallas last time around.
Nonetheless, Luchi Gonzalez's record of one win in seven matches does not bode well for their chances of finishing in the top four or higher.
On the plus side, the Earthquakes have scored in each of their last nine MLS games, despite conceding one goal more at the opposite end of the field.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes kick-off time
| Date: | May 31, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Lumen Field |
Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes face off on May 31 at Lumen Field. Kickoff is set for 10:30 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 7:30 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will not be broadcast live on TV but will be available to stream live online through Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Team news & squads
Seattle Sounders team news
Seattle Sounders will be boosted by the news that Obed Vargas is back from injury. So far, Jordan Morris is the MLS joint-top scorer with eight goals.
Seattle Sounders possible XI: Frei; A. Roldan, Gomez, Ragen, Arreaga; Rusnak, Vargas; Lodeiro, Heber, Chu; Morris.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Frei, Cleveland |
| Defenders | Tolo, Arreaga, Andrade, A. Roldan, Cissoko |
| Midfielders | Lodeiro, Rusnak, Morris, Chu, Roldan, Paulo, Leyva, Teves |
| Forwards | Montero, Heber |
San Jose Earthquakes team news
Long-term absentees Judson, Nathan Cardoso and Niko Tsakiris are the only players who will be absent from the game.
San Jose Earthquakes possible XI: Marcinkowski; Akapo, Mensah, Rodrigues, Marie; Yueill, Gruezo, Monteiro; Espinoza, Ebobisse, Cowell.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Marcinkowski, Ochoa |
| Defenders | Mensah, Marie, Cardoso, Beason, Trauco, Thompson, Aegren, Munie, Akapo |
| Midfielders | Gruezo, Espinoza, Judson, Richmond, Monteiro, Yueill, Tsakiris |
| Forwards | Bouda, Ebobisse, Kikanovic, Skahan |
Head-to-Head Record
The last five games between Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes have ended with two wins each for the two clubs.